Friday, July 27, 2018

The Heros Journey, The Stages Explained

By Kevin Edwards


Joseph Campbell adapted his monomyth on the 12 stages of a hero from the work of Christopher Vogler. The movie is ranked among the most successful stories of its generation. The Heros Journey highlights stages that everyone must pass through in order to overcome the adversities of life. These stages are worth following to understand the deep structure of characters in movies.

All heroes begin the journey as ordinary folks. At the start, nothing is special about these heroes. This makes it easier for people to identify with their daily struggles and pleasures. This is a trick that shows that the hero comes from an ordinary beginning. It will therefore be easier to relate to his triumphs.

Call to Adventure points at a stage where there is need for the potential hero to act. It happens because of an extraordinary incidence in his life and that of people around him. The people face such challenges as injuries or safety threat to the people who are important in their life. Though not all situations involve guns, it will trigger the need for the star to ditch his comfort zone. Most heroes show resistance to the call at the beginning.

The hero then encounters a mentor who trains him on vital skills that will help him face the challenge ahead. These skills are rare and will define his performance once he is facing the ultimate challenge. The doubts that used to slow him down will be eliminated. The mentor trains him on very specific skills that will make him courageous and confident to face the challenge ahead.

Crossing the Threshold occurs when a star moves on to take up his call or task. The act to take on the call may come from compulsion or voluntarily. Such a hero finds himself doing something he has never done in his life. This is a point that signifies the commitment to pursue his calling and take on what life throws his way.

Tests, Enemies and Allies. The conqueror is now going into confrontation with the issues that lay ahead. These challenges could be emotional, physical, spiritual or of any other nature. They usually prevent him from moving forward. He has to find allies and deal with the enemies. It is this confrontation that will test his strength and resolve. It will reveal his character.

Approaching the Innermost Cave. This is the pinnacle of preparation for battle. There is a specific place where the battle will take place. There is also a specific skill that will win. Doubts sometimes reemerge but with allies beside him, the hero will overcome. Further, there are people waiting to cheer him when he wins. The anticipation builds tension and is a perfect climax background.

Every hero must finally face his demon. This ordeal will demand that he summons all his strength. For victory to be realized, all the strength possible must be summoned. He faces a situation of life or death. It is after fighting the battle that he seizes the sword in order to claim his reward. There is the brief journey back to where it all began and a resurrection takes place. The hero then sublimes back into ordinary life.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment